Railway appliance for delivering water and other fluids



Dec. 28 1926. 1,612,583

W. D. HUFF RAILWAY APPLIANCE FOR DELIVERING WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS Filed Dec. {5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WilliamjZWfi Haw 4M Dec. 28 1926.

, 1,612,583 w. D. HUFF RAILWAY APPLIANCE FOR DELIVERING WATER AND OTHER'FLUIDS Filed Dec. 3, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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FF 5% o F 4? 4'2 as a! 40 Q 3%! 5 I o Patented Dec. 28, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

WILLIAM DANIEL HUFF, OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN A. GORE, F LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA.

RAILWAY APPLIANCE FOR DELIVERING WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS.

Application filed December 3. 1925.

The present invention relates to improvements in railway appliances for delivering water and other fluids and more particularly refers to improved water tank fixtures and associated spout and valve mechanism for supplying water to locomotives.

Prior water tanks using the old poppet type of valve and with the tank spout supported by a system of cables worked through sheaves, although cumbersome, was satisfactory so long as locomotives remained small and required but a relatively small quantity of Water. However, with the increasing size of locomotives and the larger volumes of water required, in shorter periods of time the necessity of increasing the size of valves, weight of the tank fixtures and associated parts involved a greater labor than the individual could properly perform, as a result of which a great many accidents due to the handling of these valves and fixtures occurred.

It is an object of the invention therefore to eliminate the difficulties with the old apparatus, to provide for the delivery of water. in large volumes as required in present practice, to so mount the spout and provide for the operation of the valve and other parts that this duty may be carried out without undue labor and with safety on the part of the individual.

A further object of the invention is to secure simplicity in the construction and in the installation, compactness in the valve assembly and spout mechanism and a facility in the operation of the valve, while at the same time providing against the leakage of water.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which the objectionable water hammer involved in the closing of the valve is entirely eliminated.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto. r

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,-

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation with parts broken away showing the old poppet valve and the improved railway appliance for delivering water as constructed in accordance with the present invention, the

Serial No. 72,982.

spout and associated parts being in the raised position.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the spout and associated parts lowered.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken through the valve mechanism showing the valve in the closed position.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4 i in Figure 3 with the auxiliary valve open.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 3, but with the piston and main valve in the open position.

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on the line 66 in Figure 3, and

Figure 7 is a similar View taken on the line 7-7 in Figure 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and for the present to Figures 1 and 2, 8 designates a railway water tank which may be of the usual or any desired construction having the hinged poppet valve 9 for controlling the outlet of water through the discharge pipe 10. The valve 9 is coupled by the cable 11 ordinarily to the short arm of a bell crank lever 12 fulcruined on the bracket 13 at the top of the tank. An operating cable 14 is connected to the bell crank lever 12' and by a pulling down upon the cable 14 the valve 9 is raised to permit the delivery of Water. This valve 9 and its connected mechanism may or may not be retained, but in case it is retained in the tank, the valve 9 will be held opened as by fastening the cable 14 in its lower position to the exterior of the tank 8.

A cut-oif valve 15 is provided in the vertical discharge pipe 10 when poppet valve 9 is not used and at its lower end the discharge pipe connects with a valve body or casing 16, one end of which also connects with the interior of the tank by means of the smaller pipe 17 having the valve 18 therein. The opposite end c-fthe valve casing or body connects with the horizontal discharge pipe 19. The swinging spout is adapted to receive water from the pipe 19 when in the lower position shown in Figure 2. The spout 20 is provided with arms 21 at one end with arcuate slots 22 to swing about the pin or fulcrum point 23 carried by the pipe 19 or other part. This fulcrum 23 also forms the pivot point of the arm 24 which is coupled by the chain 25 and collar 26 to the spout and serves to assist in supporting the fun outer end of the spout. The other end of the lever 24 is sector shaped as indicated at 27 and to this sector shaped end is secured the cable 28 connecting with counterbalance weights in the cylinder 29.

The arm 24 and chain provide a support for the rod 30 which operates the auxiliary valve as is hereinafter described. The outer end of the rod 30 is provided with a handle 31, while the inner end of the rod is coupled to the lever 32 for actuating the auxiliary valve stem.

Reference will now be had to Figures 3 to 7 inclusive in which the lever 32 just referred to is fulcrui'ned intermediate its ends as at 33 in an enclosed pedestal 34 mounted upon, and secured to, the pipe 19, the pipe 19 having a slot within the pedestal through which the lower portion of lever 32 plays. The lower end of lever 32 is pivoted to the outer end of the valve stem 36. This valve stem extends into the valve body or casing 16, and passes through and has a bearing in the spiders 37 and 38 forming a part of the valve structure. This valve structure also embodies a cylinder 39 extending about the valve stem 36 and from one spider 37 to the other spider 38, the in terior of thii cylinder 39 being open from end to end through the spider arms whereby water in the chamber 40 may lind its way through the valve structure when the auxiliary valve 41 controlling the end adjacent the spider 38 is opened as indicated in Fig- (ill ure 4. The auxiliary valve 41 is carried upon the inner end of the valve stem 36 and seats against an annular projection or prolongation 42 of the cylinder 39. The valve 41 is preferably of the disc type having the flange 43 l'iearing thereagainst and held in place by the nut 44 threaded upon the valve stem.

The valve structure also involves the piston 45 extending outwardly from the cylinder 39 at the auxiliary valve end, this piston playing back and forth in the chamber 40 and having a tight fit in the wall of said chamber 40. Preferably a packing ring 46 is mounted in the edge of the piston 45.

At the other end of the cylinder 39 is the main valve 47 extending outwardly substantiallv concentric with the spider 37 and having the forwardly extending flange 48 at its outer end to receive and retain the annular valve seat 49 of rubber or other appropriate material. This valve seat is held in place by the ring 50 which is secured in any desired manner to the main valve 47. This main valve 47 carries a number of bearing shoes 51 at spaced intervals about its circumferential edge. These valve shoes are shown in Figure 6 to be four in number and to be spaced at 90 degrees apart for the purpose of providing a symmetrical structure having uniform bearing in the valve casing 16.

The valve seat 49 is adapted to close against a companion seat 52 projecting into the valve casing 18 at the outer end thereof and being carried by the casing head 53 secured as by the bolts 54 to the flange 55 of the casing 16; there being acking 56 between the flange 55 and heat 53. The head is enlarged and threaded to receive the pipe 19.

The valve stem 36 carries the annular head 57 at a point adapted to encounter the boss 58 extending forwardly from the spider 37. The parts are so arranged and designed, however, that this engagement cannot occur until the auxiliary valve 41 is in the fully opened position.

The chamber 40 in which the piston 45 travels is closed at one end by the casing head 59, bolts (30 or other fastenings being provided to eilect the closure and the gasket 61 being interposed between the head and the casing to avoid leakage. The pipe 17 is shown in Figures 3 and 5 as connecting through the head 59 with the chamber 40.

in the operation of the device the parts are normally in the position shown in F igures 1 and 3. A locomotive requiring water will draw up on the track in the usual manner alongside the tank 8 and the fireman or other individual whose duties require will manually draw down the spout 20 about .its pivot point 23 pulling therewith the arm 24 and the operating rod 30 until the free end of the spout is in proper horizontal position to deliver the water to the tender. The tiren'ian will then draw forwardly upon the operating rod 30 causing the lever 32 coupled thereto to swing. This also involves the movement of the valve stem 36 and the opening of the auxiliary valve 41 as likewise the engagement of the stop disc or flange 57 with the boss 58 of the spider 37. This condition of the parts is indicated in Figure 4. The water previously filling the chamber 40 from the tank 8 through pipe 17 may thus find an egress through the hollow cylinder 39 and into the horizontal discharge pipe 19 and the spout. The hydrostatic pressure in the chamber 40 which acts against the entire area of piston 45 and thus keeps the valve structure as a whole in the position shown in Figure 3, is liberated, whereby the oppositely acting hydrostatic pressure upon the other or smaller area of the piston 45 may push the valve structure over to the position indicated in Figure 5. If desired this action may be partially assisted by the operator through the operating rod 30 and by reason of the engagement of the flange 57 of the valve stem 36 upon the boss 58.

As soon as the valve seat 49 is withdrawn from the seat 52 the water in the discharge pipe 10 will be permitted to enter the spout. Owing to the small size of the pipe 17 and also the maintained opened position of the auxiliary valve 41, sufficient pressure will not be permitted to build up in the chamber 40 to again close the main valve 47 until such time as the fireman shall again, by manual actuation of the rod close such auxiliary valve 41. As soon as this last mentioned valve is closed, the accumulating pressure in the chamber will be trapped against the area of the piston having the larger diameter and as soon as this accumulated pressure reaches sufficient proportions it will fully shift the valve structure to the full left position involving closing of the valve 49. By reason of the position of the shoes 51 in spaced relation water is permitted to pass freely from one side of the main valve 47 to the other and consequently the automatic movement is secured by the action of the water upon opposite faces of the piston 45. As soon as the auxiliary valve is closed, pressure, equal to the static head builds up in the chamber 40 and as the pressure in the pipe 10 is less on account of being open to the atmosphere through the outlet pipe 19, the static pressure acting on piston 45 will gradually cause the moving of the valve structure to the closed position. As this closed position is approached, a greater pressure will gradually build up in the pipe 10, this for the reason that the opening between the valve face 52 and the valve seat 49 is being gradually reduced. Owing to the increased size of the pipe 10 over the pipe 17, the hydrostatic pressure on opposite sides of the piston 45 will approach equality at substantially the time of closing of the main valve, thus retarding the speed of closing of this valve and causlng the seating of the valve without water hammer.

After the valve is seated the operator may raise the spout 20 and its associated parts being assisted in this respect by the counterweight mechanism 29 which will retain the parts in the raised position until again manually drawn down.

While the valve and fixtures are illustrated as directly beneath the tank, nevertheless it will be apparent that the same may be applied to a stand pipe located at some distance from the tank.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and "design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is 2- 1. A railway appliance for delivering wrter comprising a tank having a discharge, a norn'ially closed valve in said discharge, a spout fitted to swing in a substantially vertical plane about said discharge, a supporting arm having a connection to the outer end of said spout also fitted to swing with the spout, counterbalance means acting on said swinging arm, and an operating member for said valve mounted to swing with said arm and connection.

2. A railway appliance for delivering water comprising a tank having a discharge, a normally closed valve in the discharge, a fixedly mounted fulcrum, a spout having slotted supporting means engaging about said fulcrum for permitting of the raising and lowering of said spout, a supporting arm also fitted to rock about said fulcrum, a flexible connection between said arm and the outer portion of the spout, counterbalance means coupled to said arm, and an operating member for the valve carried by said arm and flexible connection.

A railway appliance for delivering water comprising a tank having a discharge, a valve casing in said discharge having a chamber therein communicating with the tank, a piston in the chamber having differential areas exposed respectively to the tank pressure and the hydrostatic pressure in the discharge, a main discharge valve coupled with the piston to be moved thereby, an auxiliary valve in the piston to normally close the same, a spout pivoted on the discharge, a supporting arm pivoted on the discharge and connected to the spout, counterbalance means acting on the supporting arm, and an operating member mounted to swing with said arm and connected to the auxiliary valve for opening the same.

WILLIAM DANIEL HUFF. 

